North Star with Ellin Bessner

Ariel Troster doesn't know who she is more mad at: the local police in Ottawa, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or the truck protesters clogging her city's streets, disrupting locals' lives while wrapping themselves in Canadian flags. Troster was one of the Ottawans who took to the streets over the weekend to counter-protest the "freedom convoy" that's rolled across the country. in -22-degree weather (with the wind chill), she and her fellow protesters set up counter-blockades to prevent truckers from getting downtown, where 50,000 residents have become fed up with the constant noise, late-night honking, social disruption and sleep deprivation. Troster is livid that this was allowed to happen in the first place, that her wife was threatened on the street and that her daughter, who goes to school in the neighbourhood, is now is afraid of people carrying Canadian flags. She joins to detail what life has been like in the mess that has taken over downtown Ottawa for over two weeks. What we talked about: Watch Absolutely Canadian - Just As I Am: The Shira Choir on CBC Gem. Watch a video of the counter-protesters in Ottawa on Twitter Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Yesterday, we brought you a story on three antisemitic incidents that happened within days of each other at two different Toronto middle schools. (If you haven't listened yet, hear Part 1 of this series here.) Two of those incidents happened to one boy at Charles H. Best Junior Middle School. Today, he and his parents are speaking out publicly for the first time to offer their reaction to the incidents. And their reaction isn't what you might expect. After their son was targeted one kid who formed a swastika out of classroom blocks, and two others who separately gave the Nazi salute to him, parents Yaniv and Shirra Berliner felt compelled to report the incidents to the school. But after seeing the swift public condemnation, the Berliners are angry with how the school and the board handled it all without hearing their side of the story. The family is wrestling with complicated issues involved in the fight against antisemitism in schools, but they believe these incidents were just tomfoolery and ignorance by a bunch of teenagers who didn't grasp what they were doing—and they wish the whole controversy would just blow over already. All three of them join The CJN Daily podcast for an exclusive interview. What we talked about: Listen to Part 1 of this series, "Antisemitism in Toronto schools, Part 1: Why are we still seeing Nazi symbols in classrooms?" at thecjn.ca Read Ellin's print story on the incidents at thecjn.ca Read "Debunking the Amnesty Report" at agpiworld.com Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Recently, two separate Toronto-area middle schools have witnessed three antisemitic incidents. At Charles H. Best Junior Middle School, kids targeted a Jewish student with Nazi salutes and, separately, with a swastika made out of classroom blocks. Meanwhile, at Ledbury Park Elementary and Middle School, a teacher has been removed for comparing vaccine passports to yellow stars that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Nearly identical letters were sent to parents at both schools this week outlining what had happened, expressing regret and promising to bring in Holocaust educators to teach about antisemitism and Holocaust denial. Officials say the timing of these incidents is not surprising, as these symbols have been widely shared in the news and on social media—particularly now, with protests happening across Canada against vaccine mandates. Board spokesperson Shari Schwartz-Maltz and Michael Levitt, president of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, join to discuss what the board's next steps are, after seeing a clear spike in antisemitism since the start of the school year. What we talked about: Listen to The CJN Daily episode, "After the Alexandra Lulka fiasco, what’s next for Toronto’s school board?" at thecjn.ca Read the 2021 annual report by the Toronto District School Board's director at tdsb.on.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Pinchas Gutter has been one of Canada's most active Holocaust survivors. He's spent years educating Canadians about the genocide and what life was like for European Jews during the war. But these days, he's also on a different mission: raising awareness about the 1,200 poor Holocaust survivors living in the Toronto area who are, he says, in need of up to $12 million just to live out their final years in dignity and comfort. There are approximately 10,000 survivors living in Canada; according to global statistics, about one in three lives in poverty. Despite receiving financial aid from the Claims Conference and other organizations, the survivors continue to struggle day to day. Gutter now leads a committee for Jewish Family and Child Service that's dedicated to helping these survivors with emergency health needs, such as walkers, false teeth and hearing aids—all things Ontario's health care plan doesn't cover. He joins the show with Dori Eckstein, vice-president of the JF&CS committee, to discuss the initiative and a fundraising gala set for the spring. What we talked about: To donate, visit jfandcs.com Read more about Pinchas Gutter at thecjn.ca Read about the Claims Conference programs in Canada at claimscon.org Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Ophira Calof is having a busy month. The 28-year-old Toronto-based actor, writer and curator will be judging entries for AccessCBC, the CBC’s new access project for filmmakers with disabilities; she's picking films and handling programming for the annual ReelAbilities film festival, screening at the Miles Nadal JCC; and she is, as always, advocating for the arts world to make room for creatives like her who have physical, mental or other disabilities. To kick off Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month, Calof joins to discuss how Jewish institutions can become more aware of the realities faced by Jews who live with disabilities every day, and why she purposely chose to reclaim the word "crip" by naming her consulting company #CriptheScript. What we talked about: To register for "An evening with Ophira Calof", visit kehillatbethisrael.com Watch Ophira Calof perform Me and My Wheelchair on YouTube Read about the CBC initiative at cbc.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Marc Grushcow has never waded into political protests before. But this year, ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Canadian retiree—and father of Rabbi Lisa Grushcow at Temple Emmanuel in Montreal —created a video aimed squarely at his country's athletes. He had hoped to convince them to not go to China, or at least forgo the opening ceremonies, in solidarity with the country's 12 million persecuted Muslim Uyghur people, including a million thought to be held in concentration camps. But when he sent his video to the Athletes' Commission of the Canadian Olympic Committee, they declined to share it with the rest of Team Canada. They argued that athletes' attendance did not equate condoning genocide, boycotts aren't effective, in-person diplomacy is better, and speaking out may jeopardize the athletes' safety. Grushcow's video is part of a growing protest movement organized, in part, by Jewish Canadians during the lead-up to the Beijing games. He and Phil Kretzmar, a friend and political activist in Ottawa, join The CJN Daily to discuss their mission and journey to raise awareness of the Uyghur genocide. What we talked about: Watch "Message to Athletes - Don't Turn Your Backs On Us" on YouTube Watch Anthony Housefather's motion in Parliament on Facebook Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Just before Hitler rose to power, Isay Rottenberg, then living in Amsterdam, made an unusual move. Rather than flee the area, he moved to Germany, buying Europe's most modern cigar factory. In a move that branded him as a sort of reverse–Oskar Schindler, he employed 670 non-Jewish workers and grew his business profitably, refusing to move until the Nazi government forced him to sell his factory and threw him in prison. Isay Rottenberg and his family survived the war, moving back to Amsterdam afterwards. But he never went public with his remarkable story. After he died, two of his granddaughters—both Dutch journalists—discovered the story and wrote a book about him. Now, the book has finally been released in English in Canada, where some of his descendents now live. Robert Rotenberg, the author of a best-selling crime novel series, and his cousin Michael Levine, one of the country's most prominent book agents, have collaborated to bring the story of their relative’s cigar factory to the English-speaking world, and join The CJN Daily to talk about their journey. What we talked about: Buy the book, The Cigar Factory of Isay Rottenberg: The Hidden History of a Jewish Entrepreneur in Nazi Germany, at wlupress.wlu.ca Find more work by Robert Rotenberg at robertrotenberg.com Join The CJN Circle at thecjn.ca/circle, and use promo code CJNDaily for $36 off Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Marci Surkes has been called the air traffic controller of the Prime Minister's Office. For the last two years, it's been her job to make sure all the cabinet ministers carried out their mandates and oversee which new laws got introduced to Parliament. She oversaw all major Liberal government policies, from the COVID-19 response to Truth and Reconciliation and everything related to Judaism and antisemitism. That ended last week, after Marci Surkes stepped down as chief policy advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She had to, she says, for personal reasons—mostly because of demanding hours, pandemic stress and working six days a week. (She would take Shabbat off.) Given her role in helping shape the prime minister's relationship with Canada's Jewish community, her departure will be felt in Ottawa and beyond. She joins The CJN Daily podcast to pull the curtain back on her time in the PMO, including her handiwork on last summer's antisemitism summit and how she handled Jewish organizations lobbying her on community issues. What we talked about: Watch the prime minister's address in response to the truckers' protests on YouTube Read "Former Ajax mayor Steve Parish dropped as Ontario NDP candidate for defending a Nazi’s namesake street" at thecjn.ca Join The CJN circle at thecjn.ca/circle Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

This weekend, a convoy of protesters, including truckers and those opposed to mandatory vaccine passports, reached Ottawa after days of a cross-country tour from British Columbia to the capital. Parts of Canada's Jewish community agree with the protesters—however, their goodwill hit pause after scenes emerged of a swastika flag, among other racist emblems, waving from within the convoy. The main spokesperson for the truckers is Benjamin Dichter, a Jewish activist from Toronto. When asked specifically about the swastika, he brushed the question off: "People troll, do stupid things, whatever. Who cares?" Dichter couldn't be interviewed in time for this episode of The CJN Daily podcast—we hope to speak with him this week. Instead, today we'll hear from Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman, who is sympathetic to the convoy's cause but livid about the displays of antisemitism, as well as Andrea Freedman, president of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. What we talked about: Watch the trucker convoy's live stream on YouTube Watch the clip of the spokesperson's press conference on YouTube Learn more about the veteran Marvin Gord who walked miles for Baycrest at benjaminsparkmemorialchapel.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.

Emma Cunningham has been a volunteer with the New Democratic Party for several years, in several elections, at several levels. Even though she personally feels a little further left than the party at large, she knew she could find a home with the NDP as a progressive Jew. Until last week. When the Ontario NDP nominated Steve Parish—the former mayor of Ajax, who lobbied to keep a local street named after a Nazi officer—to run in the upcoming provincial election, that was the last straw for Cunningham. Despite being the president of a neighbouring NDP riding association, she quit, taking to Twitter to call out the party for what she called "so many antisemitic incidents" she's encountered over the years. While Parish has since apologized for offending Jewish people in Ontario and beyond, and Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath told The CJN she's working to stamp out antisemitism, that’s not good enough for Cunningham. She joins today to explain why. What we talked about: Read "Ontario NDP under fire for nominating Steve Parish, the former Ajax mayor who supported naming a street after a Nazi officer" at thecjn.ca Watch the British Pathé video to learn more about Cpt. Hans Langsdorff on YouTube Watch the CBC Manitoba interview with Belle Jarniewski about the new Anne Frank book at cbc.ca Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Victoria Redden is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network; find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca.